Hey friends, Jer here.
I hope you’re hanging in there with this wildfire smoke.
Detroit briefly had some of the worst air in the world today, and it shows when you look at the skyline.
A small bit of good news is that forecasts say the smoke should move out sometime late Friday, hopefully giving us our weekend back.
A number of places across the region — from Greenfield Village to the Detroit Riverfront to Royal Oak — have already canceled events today. If you need the full list, WXYZ has a roundup. [WXYZ]
Since most of us probably aren't doing more than looking out your house or car window, we thought we'd give you a different perspective.
Talented local photographer and friend of the podcast Ryan Southen sent up his drone this morning to capture some stunning shots of the city in the haze, and I wanted to share them with you.
This is the first of a two-part series. First, the architecture of downtown Detroit. Next will be the nature of Belle Isle.
By the way, if this is your first time here, sign up for our email newsletter and join our all-local community of people who choose Detroit.
Below, I'll walk you through what spots you're seeing.
An aerial looking at the newly constructed Hudson's Tower. Canada is no longer visible, and the gargantuan RenCen is barely present.
This is over the Ally headquarters, looking at the Penobscot.
Speaking of that building, the geometry is brain-tickling good.
But in my mind it doesn't hold a candle to overhead the Penobscot.
The nearly empty, million‑plus‑square‑foot Penobscot stands eerily against the dreary backdrop.
I worked there for years, and it’s hard to see it so quiet. It feels like the kind of place that could shine again with the right investment, maybe even as a residential conversion.
Let's zoom out for a wider view of the David Whitney and Broderick towers near Grand Circus Park.
Lots of classics.
Overhead, I love the detail of this shot. For orientation, the Brocerick in on the bottom of the frame.
The particulate matter is intense.
Now let's take a look at the new Hudson's tower.
The reflections play differently when the sky is so monochromatic. This is looking down at Nick Gilbert Way.
Woodward, Griswold, and Campus Martius.
The interesting geometry of the First National Building. You can see how it snakes around the block.
It feels like some sort of video game at this point.
Ryan Southen did fantastic work with these, and we thank him for sharing them with us. [Instagram]
If you signed up for our newsletter, keep an eye out for a second set of photos with more of a nature angle from Belle Isle.
Thank to our members on Patreon for making this possible! Work like this is thanks to people like you.
A new episode of Daily Detroit will be in your podcast apps soon, so don't miss it!
Until next time, thank you for sharing your inbox with me... and I'll see you around Detroit.
-Jer
